All schools in the affected areas have been shut down until further orders, the administration said.

On Monday, a top army officer said the increasing ceasefire violations by Pakistan were aimed at pushing more militants into the Indian side across the Line of Control (LoC).

Speaking to the media, Lieutenant General A.K. Bhatt, commander of the army’s Srinagar-headquartered 15 Corps, said: “We have inputs that many infiltrators are waiting at the launching pads. We think infiltration will start sooner this year because of less snow.”